


Shackled Blood

by Unseen_Academical



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Character Bloodline, Character Death Fix, M/M, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:08:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22106065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unseen_Academical/pseuds/Unseen_Academical
Summary: Hux is mortally wounded and left to bleed out for his treason against the Order. Kylo Ren comes to give his old co-commander a last look. But things never go the way you think do they ?
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren
Comments: 32
Kudos: 285





	1. Dark spark

**Author's Note:**

> First work for the fandom which made me discover the wonderful world of fanfictions about a year ago.  
> I tip my hat to you all wonderful people who read, write and imagine all those stories.

‘Inform the Supreme Leader we have found the spy.’ Allegiant General Pryde announced in a voice not unlike one who has just dealt with a nest of maggots. He discarded the still fuming blaster without a second thought.

Mitaka’s senses unfroze slowly at the sight of the two stormtroopers approaching the corpse. Up until now the sprawled form of the general had felt like an eery stuff of nightmare, bound to disappear at the first hitch of breath. Before the two footmen could grab the body, he made his way to it, hoping against all hope. For what would there be if their general was gone? He pressed a shaking hand to the man’s pulse point and waited. His breath hitched when the telling throb of life pulsed faintly against the pad of his fingers. Repeatedly. But blood was pouring from the general’s shoulder. Wherever Pyre had meant to miss anything vital or not, the bolt had torn through bone and flesh but failed to kill the General on the spot. It would soon tough if nothing was done to quench the flow. Amidst his panic but only then did Mitaka register the looming shadow that had set upon him. Pryde stood behind him, scrutinising his kneeled form with contempt.

‘He is to be taken to an interrogation room and readied for Lord Ren’s arrival. See to it lieutenant.’ He stated coldly before turning on his heels and toward the viewport.

‘His shoulder needs to be treated sir or he’ll be dead in a few minutes.’ Mitaka blurted.

Pryde looks him up and down with a downturn of his face.

‘I don’t care about the details lieutenant,’ he snapped, ‘clean him up as you see fit and throw him in a high security cell.’

‘Yes sir.’ Mitaka answered in a practiced, automated way. The farthest away from Pyre he could get Hux the better. And let’s add the fastest too.

He gestured to the two stormtrooper to grab the bleeding General and commed the med bay to send a stretcher to meet them and prepare for their arrival.

Hux needed to survive this. They all needed him to.

\-----------------------------------------------------

An official message informing Ren about General Hux treason had been send right away. It had taken a while to come to Kylo’s knowledge though given the _eventful_ trials he just had to deal with. When he read the notification, he could not quite believe it. That Hux would lay his pride so low as to leak information to the _resistance._ Had Kylo underestimated his bitterness? Or had he been missing something bigger? Another notification, flagged, got his attention. From the med bay, informing him the General was in a critical condition. Well not General, anymore wasn’t he? Didn’t they get the memo?

_Something_ got him shouldering his cape and helmet once more and moving to the med bay. A barely noticeable tug. Morbid curiosity perhaps, to see the last moment of the man whose pettiness had crossed him at every turn. The bleeding thorn in his side that had never failed to dig deeper into the flesh at every painful occasion. Perhaps he wanted to indulge in a last chance to tear into the brilliant and twisted mind of his once co-commander. Kylo had secretly revelled in skimming the depth of those thoughts, amazed at Hux focus and peculiar brand of madness. Hux _believed_ in his vision of a ruling First Order and was shrewd enough to have decided his survival was key to its accomplishment. And it probably would have been. Not that Kylo would _ever_ admit so.

He made it to the med bay in a few minutes and was dimly aware of some unrest through the crew. His light skimming of the passing thought of every other personnel on his was revealed a newly blown tension. The world of Hux demise had probably torn through the crew already, part of which was re-affected from the Finalizer. He would have to monitor things closely to make sure no misplaced loyalty undermined them from the inside.

A defecting stormtrooper was one thing. A traitorous General another.

The door from the med bay opened upon his arrival. A medic that had probably been waiting for precisely this kind of event reported to him at once and with undisguised nervousness. From the corner of his eyes he could make the presence of an officer in the room. Little shy thing, devoted bootlicker of Hux… What was his name again?

‘Supreme Leader, Sir. The Gen… Former General Hux is in critical condition. We have received orders not to use bacta or bacta tank and in his state, he will die any moment now.’ She stammered as fast as possible.

‘Why the restriction?’ Ren asked simply in a low voice.

‘So as to not waste resources on a traitor to the Order.’ She affirmed professionally.

Ren looked at her blankly. She disapproved of the order, on the basis she was a medic and there was absolutely no shortage of supply presently.

‘Get him treated.’ He stated, his voice still flat. At his world the lingering officer perked up slightly from his mourning position.

 _‘It may be too late now.’_ He heard the medic thought clearly. 

‘I’ll get the tank ready, Supreme Leader!’ She said aloud.

She saluted briskly and was off. It was easy enough for him to locate in which part of the med bay Hux had been put. When he got to him, he was alone, both medic that had been taking care of him had dashed out to help the moment they got the all clear for the bacta treatment, leaving only a droid to monitor the bleeding man’s condition. He looked pathetic. To know the seething and fiery general of the First Order had been left to bleed out by his own people to save a little bacta was ridiculous. His eyelids were closed, fluttering slightly against his pale skin. His hairs were in disarray, framing his face in red strands and his ragged breath sends some hovering slightly. They had barred his torso in case the go for an emergency immersion in a bacta tank was given. Kylo trailed his hand lightly above the man’s chest, feeling his wavering consciousness, blinking in and out of existence, _holding on_ to a fluttering pulse working madly on too little blood.

Kylo was transported back to his childhood, feeling the same heart beating madly for survival. It had been a fallen bird. He had brought it to his mother who’d been seating a little way under the shade of another tree, weaving grass and flowers into a hairband. She had taken the bird into her hand, before shaking her head sadly and giving it back to him.

_‘All living things must go back to the force Ben.’_

_‘Why can’t the force come to them instead Mom?’_

And before Leia had the chance to breath out the first syllable of an answer, an idea had come into his little mind, bloomed and been put into action without a care or a thought for consequences.

The little bird had left his hand flying and gone on singing into a nearby branch until they left. Luke had called it force healing. A power he had come across several manuscript but could never quite manage himself. And all he could get from little Ben had been that it felt like …

A spark.

He had acted upon an unconscious reflex. Feeling the thinning life bond of Hux to his body on the brink of vanishing. Upon the last beat of his heart, he had acted to spark life into him. Like he did all those years ago. Mildly surprised with himself, he began withdrawing his hand to watch the process of Hux dying once again. What had been enough to a little bird was just a sustaining drop to a grown man.

A crushing calm ran him over. His own heartbeat rang to his ear before reality snapped senselessly. Suddenly he was pulled under the weight of a force attracting him to the body in front of him. He clenched the bedframe not to crash forward but all he managed was to be driven to his knees as the force _pulled at him_ relentlessly. A whirlwind tugged at every part of him but left the rest of the med bay seemingly undisturbed. It seeped into _him,_ into his very flesh and _mind_ and started draining him. It was like a huge parasitic maw closing upon him that started to sap him of his strength, siphoning the force out of him in a relentless drag and onto the focal point of the force well.

Hux.

Ren tried to break the hold but soon found out he was absolutely powerless to do so. Powerless and even more so with every passing moment, pinned still by the draining gravity like field. He slowly crawled away from the body but even this soon proved night impossible. When his consciousness started wavering white and black dots darkening his vision, he gathered the force around him for a last, desperate try. He projected his outcry as forcefully as possible toward the slumbering mind.

 _‘HUX!’_ He as good as yelled.

The whirlwind recessed into nothingness in a blink, the gravitational pull vanished in a snap. Kylo scrambled madly as far as possible from the bed until he hit a wall and pulled himself up.

The General's breathing had evened out.

 _‘How very interesting._ ’ An old, loathed voice cracked in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will probably write more if people show an interest in this work.  
> Get me updated if you think it is worth anything ! :)  
> #HuxDeservedBetterScenes


	2. Coiled fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I say I would not have time?  
> Deary, deary me...

_‘Bring the boy to me.’_ Palpatine voice whispered in his mind.

Kylo darted out of the room as fast as his legs could carry. He remembered himself just before coming into view of the young officer. He must have scooted closer at the sound of the commotion. The man froze with the telling look of a deer caught in a flashlight.

‘Officer,’ Ren snapped not even stopping to address the young man, ‘I want the perimeter on lockdown. No one is to see the General without my approval. You are to report any change in his condition. To me directly.’

‘But the medic sir…’ Mitaka stammered.

Ren temper flared. Was even the simplest instruction too much? How did Hux manage to have this bunch of dim wits do _anything_ was for anyone to guess. A coded reflex to vent his frustration and the man was pinned to the wall a few inches above the floor.

Bad move.

He felt his head start to spin slightly and his vision whitening in a flash. In his state even this little show was draining him. But he clenched his teeth and kept the show going to get his point across.

‘The medic can kriffing well do their work. You are to ensure Hux safety. Would you fail me…’ He walked closer, looking into the panicked eyes directly, ‘You’ll wish to be dead long before I’ll be done with you.’

He released his hold and turned on his heels without a look back.

He hardly made it to his rooms before his knee gave out and he collapsed on the floor in exhaustion. Even Snoke harsh training had hardly ever drained him to this point. He felt within an inch of his life. Two ragged breath later he had drifted into unconsciousness.

\-------------------------------------------------

A notification from his data pad woke him up. He had collapsed on the floor, but apart from a crick in the neck and lingering sore muscles he was fine. Whatever had happened in the med bay had not left permanent damages. Normally he would have ignored the notification until later but somehow it tugged at his attention.

He lit the data pad and frowned. _Lieutenant Mitaka._ Oh right, the bootlicker.

_The General’s bacta treatment has been successful but he has broken a fever._

_The medic can’t explain it. All his scans are normal. No drugs prove efficient._

_His condition is deemed worrying._

A medical report was attached, showing that Hux vitals were indeed normal but for fever. Tension clenched at Kylo stomach. He had hoped he would have more time to investigate what had happened before getting in range of Hux again. He scrolled and saw another more recent notification had been added to the thread. Must have been the one to wake him up. 

_The General was moved to his quarter for better access monitoring and security._

He had not ordered this, but it was not an unintelligent move on the lieutenant part. Beside he would be closer to his own quarter if things spun out of control again. He swiftly made his way to Hux quarter a few corridors from his own down the command section. He force-waved the door open and barged into the room stopping only to register a blaster suddenly being braked at his head. Mitaka had been standing guard by the door and let go of the gun in a panicked gesture before snapping in a salute. 

‘Sir I…’ He stammered

Ren ignored him altogether, focused on the force signature bleeding from the bedroom. When he saw Hux sprawled on the sheet, coated in sweat and whining slightly against the fever that was wreaking his body he could not quite believe his eyes. 

Hux had always be force null to a laughable degree. Even detecting his force signature when he was at spitting distance of his face was close to impossible. A rock had more connection to the force than Hux.

But here, as the illness was consuming him, he had turned into a maelstrom. The force did not _flow_ trough Hux, it caught on him like wind to a ripped cloth and came around to pierce through him again. There was almost no need for Kylo to close his eyes to visualise the threads weaving through the redhead in a pulsating mess of dark and bloody crimson.

‘He keeps getting worst sir. The medics have no idea what could be causing this. No infection, no pathogens or toxics.’ Mitaka announced resolutely.

If braving Ren was what it took for his General, he would do it. The med bay incident had proven Ren was on their side so far. The moment Ren had left the med bay he had gone to check on the General and had stayed dumbfounder. The gaping wound in his shoulder had been healed but for an ugly looking scare. However he had managed it Ren had saved the General’s life.

Ren gave him a weary look.

‘Leave us lieutenant.’ He whispered.

A meaningful look to the medical droid had it follow the lieutenant out. It beeped in disapprobation at being send out of monitoring distance of its patient but followed suits. Droids had developed a keen instinct in avoiding Ren that was too widespread not to have been some form of update of their protocol.

As the door to the bedroom closed behind him, he carefully approached the bed. The tangled mess around Hux had an almost tangible feeling so densely the force had coiled into him. There was a coppery taste on Kylo’s tong that teased his bloodlust. It felt like a dark well was lulling him to take a sip, to just try its inky waters. He put his hand through the dancing shadows overflowing from Hux, feeling the dark side licking his soul hungrily. It was _intoxicating_. And Kylo had never quite gotten the temperance lesson. Following his instinct, he grabbed Hux jaw in one hand and positioned the other on his chest and just… Opened himself to the Dark Side.

It came crashing into him, setting his veins on fire like molten metal crawling up his arm into his entire body. The power rush was like none he had experimented before, a shot of pule adrenaline as the Dark Side enveloped him. His mind expanded on his own, in a pulse reaching through the entire ship and nearby ones. He could have taken down the whole thing in one, big, blast of raw power if he had so whished.

The last of the thread coiled into him leaving him feeling lightheaded, high on the Dark Side humming along his nerves. He looked at his hands in disbelief, assessing no damage. He looked at Hux. The man had stopped his whimper and was laying seemingly at rest on the bed. A hand to his forehead proved he was burning no more. As he removed it, two leaf green eyes opened to meet his. They had a glassy aspect and Kylo had the impression the man was not fully awake.

‘What is happening to me Ren?’ Hux asked in a wrecked whisper.

‘I have no idea.’ Answered Kylo in a low voice and in complete honesty. ‘Sleep General.’ 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are dope ! And your kudos fill me with motivation.  
> Pretty please let me know what you think about this work.  
> xoxo


	3. Wound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I mention how receptive I was to an enthusiastic readership ?   
> Keep it up guys and I might just give you more ! ^^  
> All joke aside you are amazing. Thanks for the great comments and kudos, hearing what you think of this works just makes my day. Cheers !

‘Am I going to die Ren?’ Hux asked in a flat emotionless voice.

Hux stood, straight backed, facing stricken the massive weight and enormity of the Sith Fortress. It loomed menacing and eternal above them, its very sight a reminder of power unbeknown to those not chosen.

‘I don’t know.’ Ren answered through the mask.

Sarcasm broke Hux moment of disbelief.

‘You _are_ useless you know.’ He scoffed with venom.

\----------------------------------------------

_\--Earlier--_

When Kylo got into Hux quarter again, he was met not with a blaster to his temple but with a little droid that whirled madly a few times before disappearing into the bedroom with urgent and vocal biping. The now familiar face of the young lieutenant popped out in a few seconds and presented in a smart salute.

‘Is the Gen… Hux ready?’ Kylo cursed internally.

Mitaka perked up slightly at his falter, smart enough not to point it out.

‘He’ll be in a few moments sir.’

‘Perhaps if you had not sent such a ridiculous equipment for me to wear,’ Hux shouted from the other room, ‘it would not be taking so kriffing long!’

A muffled noise followed his statement with an associated string of hissed curses, some of which in a tong Kylo was not practiced in. Determined steps resounded closer before the door was thrown open to reveal the ex-general.

‘Seriously Ren…’

‘Supreme Leader’ Kylo corrected out of habit.

‘… Where is my uniform?’ Hux finished in the tone of someone who knows a lost battle when he sees one.

The outfit fitted him like a glove. Ren practiced eye appreciated how the dark, leathery fabric in parts, had been cut to allow for good movement range without being cumbersome or loose. The material too, was deceptively resistant. The fact Hux had messed up with the straps was just a bonus. He took a few more seconds to contemplate Hux force signature. He looked a bit wrecked still, with his hair mussed and his breath a bit short, but his condition had stabilised. Threads of the Dark Side were lightly ghosting his skin, leaving him unharmed but for a slight icy shiver now and then. A slight craving shot up Kylo’s core at the souvenir of how he had harvested the spawned power. It only made him more irritable. 

‘You’ve been relieved of your functions I believe. On basis of being a traitor.’

An ugly scowl twisted the ginger’s face for a second before smoothing out in a blank façade.

‘Traitors to the Order are to be interrogated and swiftly executed. Not give their quarters back along with new…’ His tone turned to distasteful. ’Cloths. Your handling of protocol remains abysmal.’

‘You are not needed anymore.’ Ren addressed the lieutenant.

Hux nodded imperceptibly to the man and Mitaka left them. The droid was cowering in a corner and Hux just shut the door on it before crossing his arms and looking at Ren expectantly.

‘You are to accompany me on Exegol.’ Kylo stated, not beating around brushes. ‘Palpatine asked you to be brought to him.’

Hux eyes widened in surprise before his expression took an angry twist.

‘Has he dismissed any presence now and assumed command of the First Order already? Do we have surrendered to him we are not even entrusted the execution of our own traitors? I expected you to have a bit more backbone _Supreme Leader._ ’

Kylo stood befuddled for a second before it downed on him. Hux thought it was about his little spying act he was brought before Palpatine. He had no idea… He wanted an answer and why bother asking when he could just _take it._

He dived into Hux mind, finding it disturbingly easy. There was usually some form of resistance or other, but perhaps Hux had gotten one or two good habit from his time served under Snoke. It did not take long to confirm the General had only kept a feverish impression of the past for 48 hours or so. He had register _pain_ and _illness_ consuming him but not understood the origin of it.

Whatever had bloomed in Hux was neither of his own making or volition. And he had no control over it.

He slipped out of Hux mind and the man took a couple ragged breath through clenched teeth. He had grabbed the doorframe so tight to keep upright his knuckles had turned white.

‘Don’t do that again.’ Hux seethed.

‘You are in no position to make demands.’ Ren answered flatly.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

They walked between the gigantic statues of long dead Sith Lords. Hux had gone quite after their exchange in front of the fortress and just followed him under and in. Mists and shadows were curling around Kylo welcoming him in an eery way as a wielder of the Dark Side and he stepped into them with ease. Those who connected to this side of the force soon learned not to fear moving shadows in the dark and listen for their whispered secrets. But where the Dark Side flowed through him, beckoning, it caught onto Hux like spiderweb on a shredded cloth. Hux walked through its streams and they just coiled around him, crawling his body. Soon, he was shivering. A quick peek into his thought confirmed Hux was not aware in the slightest of was of what was happening and was just assuming his fever was returning.

Soon they entered an open area, ridded with livewires and tech that caught Hux weary attention. Kylo felt a flare of irritation and anger from the man.

_‘… and he withheld this tech and riches all this time, letting the Order fend in the dirt for itself…’_

‘Kylo Ren. You have not yet betrayed me I see.’ The raspy voice called from the Darkness.

There was a flash of light as electricity coursed along a broken cable, revealing the broken shape of the old emperor.

_‘At least he knows to cut personal expenses.’_ The thought flashed unbidden in Hux mind with a glimpse of Snoke’s old throne room _. ’Overdramatic still.’_

Hux was usually more mindful of his thoughts, but it seemed his recent demotion had taken a toll on his carefulness, leaving his natural acerbic and bitter temper a wider range of expression. It felt like he wanted to toe the cliff closer and closer to see when it would give.

‘The fallen General of the proud First Order.’ Palpatine paused. It would have looked solemn if not for the subtle hint of derision fringing his words. ‘Come forth boy.’

Not even given a chance to advance, Hux was mercilessly driven to his knees and yanked forward until he stood right under the suspended form of the undead emperor. His robes were at arm’s length and Hux was forced to crank his neck to face the decrepit _thing._ From up close it was made painfully apparent it was little more than a torso and a head moved about by a long and bulky mechanical arm, whose fixation was lost in the far away darkness of the vault.

Maddening eyes looked down on him and a smile stretched the antic skin. Hux felt a primal shiver wracking his frame.

‘Ah. What a wasteful yet wise move was made on you.’ He breathed out. ‘Perhaps I have underestimated your value Lord Ren.’ He stated wistfully to the knight.

‘What is he?’ Kylo asked.

‘A wound in the force. He was crippled. My daughter severed his connection to the force as an infant.’

Hux breath hitched. What… Did that mean?

‘Oh yes my boy,’ Palpatine continued with a cruel smile, catching upon Hux thoughts effortlessly, ‘you are apparent to me. But you are useless, weaker even than your mother was.’

Something stuck a nerve here. Somehow neither abuse at the hand of his father nor his military training, or any decision he had lived through had ever shaken a deep ingrained thought from his core. He never thought about it nowadays, but it remained fast, strong and unbroken. _His mother had loved him._

‘You don’t get to…’ He started, irate and wrongfooted in a conversation he had not expected ever to have.

His voice stuck in his chest, muted by another force trick.

‘She was a spy sent by me to keep an eye on the Arkanis Academy. You were a tool in her wooing of your father and discarded the moment you outlived your usefulness.’ He spat disdainfully. Then he turned to the silent knight. ‘His connection to the force is too badly damaged. He is useless to me.’ He sent Hux flying through the room to lend at Kylo’s feet. ‘That little trick of yours reopened the force wound he is harbouring. It is festering. The Dark Side does not like being denied his own.’ He chuckled sombrely.

Kylo contemplated Hux sprawled form and ragged breathing. Palpatine must still be keeping his hold over him. He looked like a broken doll with the Dark Side coiling hungrily around him, ready to sink its teeth. A grotesque puppet whose string had been sectioned.

‘Is there something to be done?’ He asked the looming form.

Palpatine gave him a long, calculating look.

‘The Dark Side wells in him and he is too weak to fight it. Left unchecked it will ravage and consume him. He will die.’ He said slowly in mock caring. ’But this power can be drawn as you already have.’

At this mention an urgent craving overcome Kylo. A phantom sensation of the power rush he had tasted coursed through his arms, setting fire to his nerves. The curls and threads woven around Hux frame whirled and spun in sympathy. He felt pain course along in Hux body, arching against the force keeping him down.

‘Keep him, Lord Ren. If you so desire.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The thing about Hux’s vision of his mother is probably the only and last whinny thing I’ll write about him. Apart from when he gets shot because of Kylo’s incompetence. That is bound to happen at some point eh? This count as a free whining pass.


	4. Truce

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there good people !  
> Did the full timeline of episode 9 really spann over only 16h?  
> Consider my story to follow the same timeline but at a slower pace, there is no hurry to launch the devil’s fleet !

They made their way back to the shuttle in the seemingly general indifference of the devastated land. Kylo knew it was all but an illusion and kept his attention on edge, aware eyes and ears were spying from every shadow. Hux followed him like a hollow husk guided by an invisible line. He was in shock, wherever from Palpatine scant revelations or from the Dark Side renewed assaults. Shivers were wracking his frame and a thin sheen of sweat was visible on his forehead. His eyes had gone vacant and glassy. But the force... It was vibrant around him and the welled pool of darkness coiled around Hux was a siren call to Kylo. Lulling him closer... Begging to be set free. Want was clawing at his core and it took every ounce of his meagre control to deny himself.

Aboard their craft he ran the take-off procedure as fast as possible, knowing full well he would have to take patience as he guided them out of the crimson dust cloud. As much as he wanted to be out of the cursed planet reach as soon as possible, a piloting fault would be a death sentance. The way-finder signal guided them languidly along the curved lines of the deadly mass volutes. It seemed to Kylo the reason the trinket was necessary was because there was no set path in the treacherous stardust, only an evermoving labyrinthic trap for the unwary. It seemed like forever until they pulled out from the hungry maw of the cheated cloud and could initiate a fast jump to exit the whereabouts of Exegol and the direct reach of the undead Emperor.

Hux had just sat down in the main hull and had not moved since their take-off. Kylo could feel the pain pulsating from him but he was, to his credit, giving nothing away. His jaw was set but relaxed, and his eyes un-fluttering. He would have fooled any of his peers easily. Kylo walked up to him, towering his resolutely silent form. Hux had always excelled at the silent treatment and getting him to snap out of it had been one of his favourite pass-time before Snoke demise. He was the reason some of Hux's men had discovered he was able of very heated barbs when properly taunted and was not to pleased with himself about it.

‘How do you feel Hux?’ He asked the man beneath him.

When his question did not even rise a twitching muscle he crouched, bringing himself at eye level of the silent man. He stared into the washed off green eyes. Blazing hairs had fallen out of place during Palpatine’s puppeteer act and were framing the well-known face. How believable were Palpatine words about Hux? Was he really his other grandchildren? Were any of them? He had read Hux file off course, the moment he had crossed way with Snoke insufferable military puppet for the first time. He remembered dismissing Hux impressive academics and missions’ results as favouritism from his influent father. What he did remember was how neatly his mother statue had been filled under as _‘unknown’_ and his birth as _‘extramarital_ ’ effectively branding the prick a bastard. But under the recent light Kylo got to wonder how much Hux did know about his mother. Could she really have been a daughter of the Emperor, send as a tool of his curiosity and control? And did she discard her child as a broken spare the moment her mission was completed? Unloved. Unwanted. A tool a twist of fate had thrown at his feet. Kylo unconsciously wetted his lips, his pupils blown wide. He was so close now and could feel the hunger of the Dark Side rise to meet him. He suppressed a shiver as he pulled his right hand free of its leather glove.

‘I can take it away if you let me. The pain that is wrecking you.’ He stated in a low voice.

He only had a moment to register Hux’s eyes turning from vacant to blazing before a knee collided with his chest knocking out his breath, and his frame to the floor. Hux weight collided with him, nailing him to the durasteel. In one practiced move Hux locked his arms and grabbed his collar to slam his head down.

‘What have you done to me?’ He hissed in white hatred. 

The pain he was in was obvious now, from his ragged breathing and clammy hands. Kylo would have been impressed by his unexpected technic, strength and fighting spirit under such circumstances if not for the disagreeable and painful ringing the blow had brought between his temples. As Hux was coming down with another punch, he lashed out, sending Hux’s frame collide with the opposing wall and pinning him up there.

‘You ought to know better than to antagonise me Hux,’ He said, getting up and cracking his neck from left to right, ’beside I thought you preferred a more cowardly approach to solve your problems. But I forget. You can’t get your personnel to do the dirty work for you anymore.’

He got closer to Hux helpless, seething form pinned in place by his will. The sound of his boots heavy in the empty shuttle and resounding against the hull.

‘You were nothing without Snoke and you were nothing without me. But now,’ he brought his hand to rest still about an inch from Hux face, ‘now without me, you’ll be dead.’

And in a breath Kylo broke the thin veil of the Dark Side coiling around the former General. It came crashing against him, like releasing a dam and getting the flurry of the stream to flow. His breath itched against the cold electric burst of energy that coursed him and around his whole frame like a pulsing power nesting in his core. He gasped as it ran out and he craved more. Hux let out a moan and his whole frame went limp against the hold, loosing control as the pain he had been fighting released his body so suddenly. Emptied for now but ony for so long. Kylo let go of him and Hux just slide down the wall to end up half seating, half crouching, slumped against the durasteel. He would need to keep Hux close. To keep him alive.

‘Fight me or don’t, I will get what I want out of you.’ He finished in a whisper.

Hux looked up to him and there was hate and humiliation but, and even if he tried to conceal it, a vast amount of despair and incomprehension. Under the seething, Hux was thoughtfully lost and disorientated by what had been happening for the past days, unable to piece together the whole picture from bribes. Kylo considered leaving him there, but something stopped him. An echo in his feeling perhaps, of his own fright about what the force was presenting him with. About his own incomprehension and despair when the Dark Side first laid his claim on him as a child. _The Dark Side does not like being denied his own._

‘Hux,’ he sighted wearily in the end, ‘I don’t know what has, _is_ , happening to you.’

Green suspicious eyes snapped up to meet his. All limpness had vanished of the sprawled form. After effects were obviously of short duration.

‘It is linked to the force and however it happens, it is surely killing you. It looks like I can control the problem, but I don’t know if there is any way to stabilise your condition.’ He added truthfully. A peace offering. If he could get Hux to follow him of his own volition, it would simplify things a great deal.

‘Why would you do anything for me.’ Hux asked flatly.

_He has already understood I gain from it._ Kylo thought. No point in shrouding the truth if a truce is the objective.

‘It profits me.’ He answered with a shrug. ‘It seems your body hoards the force. The Dark Side.’ He added meaningfully. ‘I can tap into it. It is… Useful to me.’ He finished, setting his face in a mask.

Hux gave him a long look. Kylo could not make out his expression and was weary of pushing Hux buttons now. He was tempted though, as the thin line of Hux lips was foretelling another long bout of silence.

A chime from the communication panel aborted the tempting thought. It was from the Supremacy and encoded under a high security script. He authorised the transmission and the head of the intel department flickered to life in front of him.

‘Supreme Leader,’ he saluted, ‘we have been able to finalise the reconstruction of the stolen dagger from the scanned data we collected before the theft. We were also able to fully translate the script. Relevant information is ready to be transferred upon your order.’

‘Send the files to me right now.’ He disconnected the call and feverishly opened the sent files. A compete reproduction of the Sith dagger Rey had stolen from his quarters flickered to life in front of him. When he read the translated text, everything clicked into place. How could he not have thought about it? It was so obvious…

The other way-finder was on Endor. And Rey was looking for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make noise if you like this ! This is a side fic to me and I’ll only write if people are continuously interested in it.  
> Love, UA


	5. Of rain and spit

If the Force was sentient as Ren sometime hinted, Hux wanted to be indicated the fucking complaints desk. There was no way Palpatine, Ren and the scavenger girl belonged to a same body of people chosen to represent the mystic wannabe fuel of life energy in the universe. That was _one_ thing, but him getting tangled up in the religious mess another altogether. Ren had been bad enough to manage from a distance, but it seems that his new… _condition_ would grant him the joy a much closer (or rather personal) monitoring. He sighted and drew a hand over his weary face. All things considered he was in no position to complain right now as whatever had caught Ren’s fancy was keeping him from execution by the First Order for the time being. And time was the paramount resource to form a plan. What he needed to figure out first was where he and Ren stood in this new dynamic. Namely if he would have to flank the ridiculously overpowered man child all the time or if Ren would mostly keep him tucked somewhere (where he could ploy in peace) until he was of use. But since the overdramatic bastard had just now as good as stormed off the ship without a word of explanation it was evident, he was not going to be supervised all the time.

Hux grunted slightly at the protestation from his stiff joints as he got up from the floor. The main hull had no viewport but the slight rocking of the ship and the meteorological sounds from the outside informed him they were not back on the Steadfast as initially scheduled. The communication Ren had received must have distracted him from his initial plan. Hux braced himself against the metal plats of the wall (Ren had not been easy on him the bastard) and walked stiffly up to the cockpit. There was a chance he would be able to gain insight on his localisation from the view. Using the ship to escape was tempting but out of question. He had investigated the medical reports concerning his condition and it seemed the knight had not lied about Hux thin chances of survival on his own. It gritted, but he needed to keep close to Ren for the time being. Beside the ship was loaded with First Order tracking technology which meant he would be found out before he could even start to disable them.

He was brooding over these disagreeable facts when the door of the cockpit hissed open to reveal the viewports. Hux breath caught in his throat as the displayed landscape hit home. He did know _exactly_ where they were.

The ship had been landed precariously on a thin metal scrap running away from the gigantic sunken metal mass of the Death Star. A tumultuous, stormy ocean was hungrily running over its frame. Painting the grey metal in even sombre shades. Hux, as a child, had contemplated this view from a few scrap photos he had secretly salvaged from a New Republic article back in the days. Endor had just been declared a sanctuary of the war, effectively banning any new settlement possibility and unauthorised trips to its surface.

 _‘Not before they have pillaged every last material they could find down to scrap metal!’_ His father had hissed angrily before tossing the paper in the bin.

Those who expressed a wish to visit the old wreckage were watched very closely. He had to make do with pouring obsessively over whatever schematics he could get his hand onto. There was a time Hux had wished he could gaze upon what had inspired his life work. Today he shivered slightly, knowing the toll of the failure this empty husk represented. Death permeated the place. _Thousands_ that could not make it to the escape pods. _People_ that had put their faith in serving the Order, that _he_ had failed. He shook his head slightly, snapping out of the unexpected reminiscence and forcing his whitened knuckles to release their grip on the pilot seat. What was Ren business here? He rolled his eyes slightly. It would be about the girl of course. It always was about the girl these days. He would almost feel sorry for the poor girl for being stalked by Ren if he did not want himself to rip her open and slowly tear every one of her nerves and joints apart to pay her back for the Starkiller downfall. Perhaps he should give Ren the Talk. His lips tucked up at the thought.

Some light caught his eye up the metal structure. Even given the absolute mess of twisted metal it came from about the known position of the old throne room. He frowned and caught again the flash of blue and... Red. Well that at least gave him Ren’s position. And insight. If Ren was fighting the girl again it was bad news given his sky rocking defeat toll of 100% against her. Problem was a dead Ren was temporarily out of the equation for his own benefit. He swore lightly under his breath and went rummaging in the main hull. This type of small ship was equipped with standard spare weapons and he may or may not have asked Mitaka to replace the standard spare blaster with his own high-end sniper riffle. He unhooked and put together the gun expectedly and hooked a spare pistol to his belt and a couple field knives to his boots before opening the back hatch. He was reluctant to get wet since not only did both water from above and bellow seemed bent on making any visitor feel sharply unwelcome, but he had also no idea where to go. What he had was a nagging feeling Ren was bound to make a mess of things and he would be the one to have to set things right. Again.

His wet sulking was interrupted by a crashing sound from the top of the structure and he watched, gaping and bewildered as the girl and Ren came down falling from the high room among scrap metal and just _kept fighting_. Swiftly rolling under the ship he managed to avoid being noticed by the duo which he had to admit, was not a great feat given how thoroughly focused on each other they were. He knew Ren fighting style well, having studied it and it was evident from a close-up view through his riffle lunette that he was undoubtedly winning. What was slightly worrisome was how he clearly was withholding his blows. The girl did not seem to be showing any such restraint and Hux caught himself swearing through clenched teeth. Whatever Ren was playing at could only be the epitome of moronic. He got his hand on the trigger, breath even. Ren got the girl in a lockdown, there is no way she can reverse the situation now...

And that is when he feels it. A heart wrenching feeling, stabbing through him, the kind of which he never felt himself. Ren freezes, the girl is about to stab him and Hux release the trigger without a thought. The bullet hits its mark instantaneously, tearing through the flesh and bones of the girl’s hand and blowing the lightsabre in the air. The thing lights off and arcs through the stormy rattling rain before giving in with a blue blast and shockwave. The girl’s anguished scream snaps Hux from his frozen moment as the grieving feeling seeps from his bones. Whatever just happened, his training and conditioning had him continue his mission unperturbed and he was grateful for it. He quickly set his riffle to stun before shooting the girl again, hoping the pain from the previous shot would be enough to muddle her reaction. He smirks as his shot hits its mark untampered for the second time and the girl falls unconscious.

He drags himself from under the ship and fiddle a cigarette from one of the inner pockets of his new outfit. The ridiculous material had at least kept them dry. He takes his time lighting one, fully expecting Ren to barge in any moment with the girl. After waiting a while with no sign of Ren showing up, he scowls and begrudgingly makes his way over the tricky wreckage and over to the position of the fighters.

Ren is hunched over the girl, cradling her hand that has visibly been banded in dark fabric. His lightsabre lays discarded a few feet from him and Hux picks it up. Ren is completely obvious to him, consumed in grief. Red hot anger simmers through his veins at the pathetic sight of the Supreme Leader of his beloved First Order, cradling the body of a scavenger and a rebel, taken down by _grief_ for their enemy. This kind of snivelling would not have been tolerated from him when he was four years old and seeing this display from Ren was downright sickening. Violence tearing through his mind, Hux took his riffle and brought the shoulder end to collide viciously with Ren’s temple. The sickening sound had him filled with instant satisfaction and sadistic joy. He half expected Ren to retaliate with the usual humiliating force trick or simply black out from the blow. What he did not expect was the look of kicked puppy and despair that painted the man’s frame and face. Hux snarled and kicked him, making sure to target a visible deep abdomen wound, sending him rolling and twitching a little further down the sloppy metal edge.

Pain whitened out Ren’s vision. He gasped wildly as it radiated from its abdomen and every other cut and bruise. But suddenly a wave came crashing on him and he felt himself slipping, being dragged in the clutches of the liquid mass and toward its black depth. He choked on saltwater, not knowing up from down and right from wrong, all his universe burning and twirling as he drifted unhinged into the aqueous mass. But then something got hold of him, a strong line stopping his drift and giving him focus.

‘Snap out of it, Ren!’ Hux yelled to his face as water relinquished his claim on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and thoughts are hotly encouraged.  
> Cheers !


	6. Ashes of the past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I think I would need a beta reader if anybody is interested. English is a foreign language to me and I'd be happy and honoured if someone appreciated this enough to help me make it more readable.

It was freezing. And dark. The cold hung to his bones like a wet cloth. The echo of a faint dripping sound hinted at a vast network of low bound caves. Kylo was alone and he did not need to open his eyes to know that. Had Snoke abandoned him again to whatever impossible task his sick mind had come up with? He stayed shivering on the cold stone floor for unaccounted time, his muscles and mind unwilling to rise. To continue fighting. Quietly an uneasy feeling crawled his way in his chest. Something terrible had happened, it was edging his mind, begging to be remembered. But Kylo did not want to. Whatever truth his mind had shut out would be painful and he had had quite enough of pain. He wanted to _rest_. 

_‘Ben…’_ A soft whisper called.

He knew the voice. But he did not want to wake up, he was slipping into a comfortable unconsciousness he was really unwilling to escape.

_‘Wake up Ben!’._ The warm, feminine voice insisted, chiding.

* * *

He was gently shaken by a small, soft, and caring hand on his shoulder. His eyes fluttered open and he just caught the image of dripping, wet black stones before the world rolled and he was on his back in tall green grass with nothing but the sky and the youthful feature of his mother above him. She was smiling fondly at him. Before he was properly roused, she hooked him under the arms to drag him to his feet.

‘Your uncle has arrived. Don’t you want to go and salute him?’ She asked teasingly.

‘Uncle Luke is here?’ He chirped excitedly.

‘I couldn’t bear to leave my favourite nephew for long!’ Luke’s voice called from just a leaping distance away.

Ben cheered and jumped into his uncle’s arms, knowing that however reckless he was Luke would catch him. They ended up in the grass and laughing like only Luke could get Ben to laugh.

‘You were gone forever! Did you bring me a present?’ He added with hope.

‘Let me see if it is still in one piece…’

And with a smile he produced from the folds of his mantel a perfect little replica of a ship. He knew ships were Ben’s favourite. He and Ben would often play out famous star battles by levitating the little replicas around. Ben was quite good at it and an enthusiast learner when Luke gave him advices and instructions to have the airborne ships do little tricks. And if they sometimes got damaged in Ben’s enthusiasm, he made sure to come up with replacement on his next visit.

‘A B-wing?’ Leia asked curiously.

‘Is it a starfighter?’ Ben asked with curious enthusiasm, observing the model with caution. ‘Starfighters are my favourite! I want to be a starfighter pilot one day!’

‘I am sure your father would be proud of your interest young man.’ Leia said fondly, petting down his unruly dark curls. ‘He does love to take you flying.’

* * *

In a blink, the warm scene seemed to shift, the colours draining from the canvas, only persisting so long as it took the eyes to adapt to the sudden thick and muffled darkness that closed around him. He had to be cautious walking down the stairs, not wanting to add to his injuries. He was in pain, and awash in shame. Blood was dripping profusely from his hands, that he cradled against his chest. He was making his way down the kitchen with muffled sobs, trying to make as little a mess as possible on his way.

‘Mom,’ he sniffled as he pushed the door of the room open with his shoulder, ‘mom I am sorry, it happened again…’.

‘Ben!’ His mother yelped, her eyes widening at the sight of his wounds, hurrying to his side.

She sat him on a chair and gently picked up every broken shard of glass from his hands, before bandaging them snuggly. She then kissed him softly on the forehead.

‘I am really sorry mom I did not mean to break the glass. I am trying…’

‘Hush Ben, I know. I know you are doing your best sweetheart.’

He lowered his head in shame, and to hide the desperate tears pooling in his eyes. He could handle the pain. He really could. He would do better and not get hurt anymore

‘Please don’t send me away mom, I love you. I don’t want to leave you.’

Pain did not frighten him. The shadows that crowded his head and their whispers did. But they were never quite so overwhelming when he was by his mother’s side.

* * *

The light in the room changed, and he was peeking through the keyhole. He was taller too, but not tall enough for his desires and wishes to be accounted for when it came to ‘serious matters’.

‘It is only getting worst Luke. He keeps injuring himself by accident. The only reason there’s not been any accident with other kids is because he’s gotten so reserved of soon. He hardly even talk to other kids his age if he can avoid it.’

‘Do you think he secludes himself from the other children because he is afraid to hurt them?’ Luke asked.

Ben’s heart gave a painful throb at the frown and concern in his uncle’s voice. He did not want to worry anybody.

‘I don’t know,’ Leia sighted, ‘when I force him to go out and play, he always come back to me saying his head is hurting. There is never any sign he may have gotten hurt though…’

_That’s because of the whispers._ Ben thought. _They are so much stronger when I am away to play._

He wanted to say it. He wished to explain. But then mother would worry so much more and perhaps she would send him away. He did not want to be sent away. If he went with Uncle Luke, he would not see her every day, and he would miss every one of his father’s visits. They were precious to him and he could not bear the idea to not be home to jump at his father’s neck every time he could drop by. He wanted to stay and study to be a senator like his mother and help people. He clenched his teeth resolutely. He could handle the pain if it was what it took. And he could manage the whispers.

* * *

Life at his uncle’s school was slow and quiet. It was an eery repetition of daily simple tasks and lessons and Ben had to acknowledge there was peace to be found in the perfection of little things. He liked to cut down wood, knowing the logs would feed their fires and turn into a beautiful, gleaming jewel of amber. When he finished early, he took to carving figures in the spares. The whispers were his every hour companions now that he had no shelter to escape them, and he found they were much more tolerable to acknowledge than ignore. As his training went on and he refined his connection to the force they became more distinct, offering advices in the force and quick foresight in fights. He learnt to listen and rely on them as they became more and more useful, turning advices into guidance, into lessons.

* * *

Ben blinked in confusion as his finger caressed the rough black stone, smearing his skin in dark wet strips. He had no recollection of how he came to be here. He tried calling for help, but his cry only rebounded faintly back to him a hundred times, from every nook of the pathways. He was cold, alone and miserable and the idea to move and perhaps sink deeper into the darkness twisted his stomach in fear. He stood frozen for a while in the crushing darkness and silence.

Why was he here? The spark of curiosity snapped his torpor. What had driven him to sink so deep into the caves? Staying indecisive and frozen would only end up killing him. What a weak and pathetic end that would be.

Stung in his pride by the idea, he pulled himself to his feet. There was a slight feeling to the caves, rushing against him like a gust of whispers. They held secrets. Truths that had been hidden to be forgotten. And lies for keepsake. There were many ways to lose himself and perhaps no true path. But the whispers keep running against his soul, inviting him forward. Trusting himself and the force, he started forward in search of his question or a way out.

The caves had an endless feeling to them and he had no idea how long he wandered and how many turns he took, always walking forward the maze. It felt like forever as he finally strolled into a small, bordering on claustrophobic alcove.

He looked around in exhaustion and cautious curiosity at this first dead-end, considering just nesting there on the floor. But as his eyes accustomed to the deeper obscurity that pooled here, he noticed the wall in front of him had an eery mirror-polish quality quite different from the rough stone of the walls. Curious, he peered down the surface of the left-most surface. There were shadows moving he could not quite make out.

He narrowed his eyes and bend down slightly in scrutiny, his fingers slightly brushing the cold glass…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next part coming soon. Hope I have not confused the lot of you too much with the disjointed narrative !  
> As always comments are greatly appreciated !


	7. Buried futures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Kylo needed a little character developpement right ?  
> Can you believe I just realise they use 'blasters' because they... well, blast things ? The more you know...

‘Ben? Are you ready?’ His mother calls softly, pulling him unobtrusively from his contemplation with a light touch on his arm.

He blinks and smile in reassurance. There is nothing to see in the viewport glass of the extravagant suit but his own reflection and a glorious view of the city nightscape.

‘I am quite ready mother.’ He answers. ‘That is, if you judge me presentable enough to walk by your side’

She gives him a stern and appraising look, taking in how the soft cream garb cladded the now adult lines of her son, how the cloak rested lightly on his broad shoulders. The clear outfit was underlined just so by a deep crimson line on his bottom lip, in the most sober Nabooian way. At his sight and serious face, she can’t hold the stern act for long and soon her feature melts in warm pride.

‘You look perfect Ben, and I could never be prouder of my son.’

‘Princess Organa, you bestow a great honour upon me.’ He answers with a cheeky smile, before offering smartly his arm to his mother. ‘Let’s go and show them what the name Organa stands for shall we?’

Despite being on the greying side, his mother was far from needing his arm but took it fondly. She had a presence to her that Ben had never any hope to reproduce. Her strong and kind elegance was her own and Ben was just glad and proud to have such a woman for a mother.

Amidst the guests and senators, they made their way to the meeting chamber of the senate, and with every step they took the importance of the coming session weighted on them more. People were whispering in the halls, exchanging last minute information and, possibly, allegiance. Her mother looked up at him with slight concern and he squeezed her hand in reassurance. 

They took their seat place in their box and soon the session started with the usual formalities. Only when the chairman finally sat down to let his first representative talk did Ben attention focus.

‘… and let me now give way to our new senator, Armitage Hux of the First Order, first representative of the First Order in this assembly.’

Ben chocked as unrest fell on the chamber. A pod drifted to the centre of the room and suddenly every screen showed the image of a young red-haired man with piercing green eyes and sharp feature. Ben could not believe the First Order had chosen their beloved pet general to be sent in the lion den to serve as senator. It was either a blessing for the resistance or the downfall of the New-Republic. Intel gathered by the Resistance painted the man as a military genius and shrewd tactician. Depriving their fleet of his direct supervision could very well cripple the First Order. On the other hand, if he proved himself as shrewd in the political game as he reportedly was on the battlefield, he would prove an even greater menace here. Bringing his enemies down from the inside on their own playground.

‘… and even though the First Order has greatly regretted the delay before it could be represented within this assembly, we understand the peculiar form of our organisation required carful deliberations of the senate. We are grateful these are over and to be now recognised, and in a position to contribute actively in this democratic process.’

He bowed respectfully and supportive applause broke through the hall. _Many_ supportive applauses, through the _whole_ chamber. Leia shots a rapid and concerned look at her son but Ben was too focused on new the wild card that had just been added to the political game to register it. Just as the pod made way for the next speaker, Hux looked up the room and in their general direction. It was hard to tell from a distance, but Ben was sure he could make out a vicious smile on the man’s lips. He sighted. They had done everything they could, but the viper was now coiled in the bird’s nest.

And what a viper. The man was a blazing fire, ready to torch his way to the top. Be it with honeyed words and crafty speeches or by the fire of blasters and canons. A methodical and coldly intelligent war machine let lose in the heart of the Republic.

Ben shuddered against as a sudden wave of cold hit him. He heard his mother call his name, but it fainted into a faraway echo as shadows swallowed his surroundings.

* * *

He stumbled backward and tripped on his own feet to land on smooth, hard black stone. He took a few ragged breaths before his word stopped spinning enough to remember where he was. The three-mirror dead end. The left most mirror had rejected him, sending him sprawled in front of the right most polished stone mirror. What had just happened?

He had a sour taste in his mouth, and a feeling like a vicious claw around his heart. The man in the mirror… It’d been him in a way. In a way that hadn’t been. He looked over the now clouded surface of the mirror as shame and regret washed over him in an incomprehensible way. His gaze averted the source of the vision, and unwillingly found the close surface of the second mirror. There were little dancing lights on its surface. In the almost pitch-black darkness of the caves, they looked beautiful.

* * *

Stars danced in front of his eyes, laid beautiful and quiet for a breath during the battle.

Too soon he had to send his ship spinning in a barrel like movement and curve upward to hopefully evade the two TIE-fighters that were tailing him. He cursed when the much more agile enemy ships took a tight curve, following his manoeuvre easily. X-wings had their perks but when it came to manoeuvrability, they were no match to the TIE models. And if he was not wrong those were modified TIEs and it meant bad news. Recently the First Order had taken to update their technologies and upgrade their ships much to the Resistance sorrow. Sometimes Ben swore their ship park held on faith and resourceful mechanics. But on faith mostly.

‘Ben!’ The com shouted. ‘Ben can you hear me? We need you down here!’

‘I am a little occupied at the moment!’ Ben answered through clenched teeth.

He took advantage of a distraction provided by a ship debris flying against them to combine a tight dodge and turn, surprising the enemy and gunning one down, evening the odds. Bless the Force for his reflexes and foresight.

‘They aren’t too happy about us kidnapping their general if you want my opinion.’ Ben sassed over the com. ‘Following us through hyperspace to take their precious little poster boy back…’

‘Ben this is serious! We can’t lose them, and we think he knows how they can track us through hyperspace, but he won’t say a damn thing!’

‘On it, Poe!’ He answered, shouting a cheer when the TIE made a mistake allowing him to blast the damn thing for good.

A few minutes later he stood in front of the First Order General. The cell was tight, and the man securely chained in the centre, forced on his knees by a short lease. His head was bowed, hiding his face and his feature was completely still.

The Resistance had been desperate. For months now they had heard frightened whispers of a weapon of terrible power, but nothing solid to act on. In a mad plan Ben had proposed an ‘in and out’ kidnapping of the one person rumoured to have designed the weapon. And there stood this one man, with the whole First Order fleet adamant to take him back.

‘General Hux.’ He greeted, as neutral as possible for him. He had never quite managed his mother’s poker face, much more at ease with his father banter method. Somehow, he had a feeling they would not make a great impression on the man in front of him. 

The red head slowly raised his head to meet his eyes.

Covered in blood and bruises. Battered but standing cool and collected, just like the Resistance had not beaten him to a pulp to get him to spill his secret. 

‘Ben Solo.’ A smile pulled cruelly at the corner of his lips. ‘The little scoundrel rat of the Resistance.’

Ben knew without asking the man in front of him would never talk. Hardened to torture. Forged by a system. He had the manic glint to his eyes of a fanatic, but enough cool and backbone to keep it under control. Just by looking at him, Ben knew the General would never spill the secrets of the First Order.

Too bad for him the Resistance had Ben Solo in their ranks, then.

He gave the man a crooked smile.

‘You’re awfully cocky for a man tied down. Let’s see how long you can hold onto your precious organisation’s secrets, hum?’

The general gave him a scalding look and kept it unwavering as he started pushing in the first layers of his mind.

The vision wavered and blinked out as the echo of the first scream ripped through the chamber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No really, am I losing you with this ? I'll try to update soon to finish this slice.  
> A penny for your thought.


	8. Ashes of the Empire

Hux could not quite believe that Ren had the gall to pass out on him. Admittedly he’d been injured and Hux might have made things worse by kicking him in his wounds but, _come on._ By Ren’s standard these were scratches. He had had a feeling he’d have to be there to sort out Ren’s usual mess, but _this_ was a bit much.

He cursed and remotely called the ship’s stretcher, trying to keep himself, Ren and the girl from being washed off the scrap metal surface. The weather was taking a turn for the worse and if he’d felt miserably wet before he was starting to feel like a drowned rat. Thankfully, the stretcher glided by under the minute. He wrestled Ren’s in, grateful he would not have to carry the big oaf to the ship himself and picked up the girl, giving a silent prayer that she’d not wake up before he’d have the chance to drop her. She had looked thin, but he was surprised nonetheless at how light she was in his arms.

When he turned round to move back to the ship, he spotted a skiff fighting the waves in their direction.

Times up then.

He made his way back the dry safety of the hatch, dropped the girl on the floor, left Ren hovering in the sass and started up the take off procedure. For safety measure he threw in a randomised space jump, a code that he had supervised and would bring the ship to one of a selected spot of _nowhere_ in the vast extends of space. This protocol had been devised as an emergency way out and Hux needed time to think and sort the situation.

He activated the navigation aid that he knew Kylo always bypassed and wrenched the ship from its narrow perch, against grappling waters and vicious winds. Even as he cursed Ren for choosing such a stupid landing spot a part of him had to acknowledge his pilot skills. If he could be just brought to be reliable in following orders, he’d be the perfect blade. A surgical executor. As thing stood and as a man, he just was a wild trump card. He managed to stabilize the ship a few tens of metre up in the air. After that the difficulty mostly laid in escaping any unwanted attention, in which the storm actually helped. In a few minutes they were out of the planet’s atmosphere and about to enter hyperspace, for which he felt gracious enough to strap in Ren and the girl. Not that he would mind Ren bumping his head, but the stretcher was expansive. And strapping the girls tightly felt like something he’d already delayed too long.

He moved to the main hatch and secured the stretcher to the wall. Ren was twitching and whimpering in his sleep, his eyelids fluttering. The monitoring screen indicated he’d broken a fever, and that his pulse rate was high, but his condition was not otherwise worrying. Hux prodded the deepest gash on his abdomen and judged it could wait a few minutes to be treated. With pinched lips he turned to his second problem.

The girl still laid sprawled where he’d dumped her. Her breath had picked up, but she was still unconscious. He took a look at her wrist, and as he had assumed, it was clean cut and cauterised. He rummaged around the armament locker and found bindings, and sedative in the medical storage. He dosed her generously, before fastening several pairs of manacles on her wrists, forearms, ankles and legs to the point it looked a little ridiculous and she’d probably would not be able to stand if she tried. Then he went back to Ren.

This had an air of déja-vu as he cut the clothe around the wound, helped in his ministration by a small hovering medical droid. The ship was thought out in a compact way, for short one person trips and therefore not equipped with a full medical ward. It was very much so the equipment they had had aboard the shuttle he’d picked up Ren with before Starkiller’s explosion. Setting aside the grim memory, he focused on the task at hand, cleaning the wound and setting the droid to stitch it up. He did not sedate Ren, having witnessed the aftermath of such decision once and passed a general order the knight was to be opened raw if necessary but not drugged ever again. Thankfully whatever state he was in right now, he did not stir.

In a few minutes he’d sorted every emergency task and he just found himself alone, drifting silently in the void of space with two of the most powerful force users in the known universe out cold in front of him. He let his poise relax, his elbows resting on his knees and hands joined in front of his face.

This was a keystone moment. He’d been dealt a royal hand and it was up to him to play it right. The girl, Ren and him. And out of the ship, the Resistance, the First Order and the Last Order. Hux fought for the First Order. It was his whole life, and the core of his being. But… things got tangled when the remains of the late Empire rose from the ash end of the Galaxy. The First Order had risen from the remains of the Empire, but it had outgrown it. It was flaming and new, having burned in a pyre the rotted remains of the corrupted system that had fallen because of the pride of one man. And now a spawn of the old Empire had risen to leech the First Order to support itself.

Hux knew _he_ was the First Order. He was the young figure head of the organisation, and despite the recent failures of his command his statute had only been slightly undermined. Starkiller took the shot. And their scientists were still trying to figure out what the _hell_ had happened when the last of the Resistance ship had taken the hyperspace jump. The politic of the First Order was to stick together against the common enemy and Hux image had not been dragged in the mud.

Yet.

He needed to act fast. He needed a strong ally to take down the hell spawn of the Empire before it hatched. And he needed a force user to keep him alive. The girl and Ren, the Resistance, the Last Order and the First Order.

Second ticked, and the General kept very still in the darkness of the ship.

Planning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back lads and gels!  
> Let's get this party aflame.


End file.
